Green Plants for Inside

Elephant's ear plants grow well indoors.elephant ears image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com

Place green houseplants in your home to add life and a pop of color to your surroundings. Many plants are grown for their green foliage rather than showy flowers. Before you place a potted plant indoors, make sure it can handle the low light conditions present in most homes.

Elephant's Ear

When you are looking for a large green houseplant, go with the elephant's ear. This plant produces heart-shaped green leaves that can grow up to 18 inches long. Each leaf grows on the end of a long stem. The flowers can be bright green or variegated with green and cream. Elephant's ear can be grown either inside or outside. If you place the plant indoors, put it in an area where it receives either bright or filtered sunlight. Plant elephant's ear in fertile potting soil with plenty of rich humus. This plant grows best in humidity, so spritz it occasionally when you grow it indoors.

Japanese sweet flag is an indoor plant that grows about a foot tall in a mound. The plants produce long, slender green leaves that look like blades of grass. The leaves may be edged in a cream color. Place your Japanese sweet flag in a cool place where it will receive either bright or indirect sunlight. Japanese sweet flag plants grow best in a good-quality potting soil that drains well.

The Chinese evergreen is the perfect houseplant for a new gardener or someone who does not have too much time to take care of his plants. That's because this plant can survive with some neglect. Chinese evergreen plants produce long, thin leaves that are variegated with green and cream colors. The leaves stand almost straight up. This plant thrives best in bright or indirect sunlight and when planted in a high-quality potting soil.

This small cactus is perfect for someone who does not have too much space for a large houseplant. Argyroderma cacti plants have shoots that grow below ground and produce thick, round leaves that look like green rocks at the ground level. Each plant will have lots of shoots, so when the plant is fully grown, it will look like a pile of green rocks. Place this plant in a sunny window because cacti enjoy lots of light. Do not plant your agyroderma cactus in regular potting soil. Instead, plant the cactus in a high-quality cactus plant mix. Remember that cacti do not require much water, so simply keep the soil barely moist.